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It shouldn't be VERY different to what I have done.

There are obviously significant changes but I think the way I have been training should mean that it will be a smooth transition. My only worry is the lack of variety available. I realise chains and bands aren't required but things like boards or different type of bars and all would have been nice to add variety.

Gonna have to be somewhat creative with it.

Reply 561

RawJoh1

Original post by Michael XYZ

Bands aren't expensive, can ghetto up some boards easily enough.

Reply 562

Michael XYZ

Original post by RawJoh1

Bands aren't expensive, can ghetto up some boards easily enough.

There's some hard foam blocks at the gym.

I'm thinking I could do something with them to mimic some kind of board press.

Reply 563

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by Michael XYZ

You don't need anything other than a standard bar for variety.

With a standard bar your ME lower exercise selection can comprise of;

Low bar squats
High bar squats
Front squats
Low box squats
Parallel box squats
Pause squats
Deadlifts
Sumo deadlifts
Block deadlifts (from many different heights)
Deficit deadlifts (again from many different heights)

Likewise, for ME upper can you do;

Regular bench
Close grip bench
Incline Bench
Decline Bench
Board press (very easy to get hold of boards)
Incline Close grip bench press
Decline close grip bench press
Bench press from pins

Those are all just examples.

Reply 564

Michael XYZ

ME Upper

Close-grip bench
Warm-up
100kg - 1x1
105kg - 1x1
107.5kg - 1x1 PR
110kg - 1xf

Dips
20kg - 3x9

OHP
47.5kg - 1x9, 2x5

Pull-ups
Wide: 1x12, 1x8
Neutral: 2x7
Chins: 2x8
Wide: 1x5

Hammer curls
2x?

Good day. First of my Westside routine/system/methodology/principles/so on... close-grips felt pretty good and got a strong PR I think. Went for 110kg but was a bit ambitious I suppose. Mentally fatigued after psyching myself up for the prior sets.

Rest was okay. Dips were good but my OHP was very weak today. Last week I got 3x8 quite easily I felt but today was a lot tougher. I may put these before dips to focus more on shoulders but I'll have a think about that. Pull-ups were okay, very tired by now and then just 2 sets of hammer curls to finish it off.

Reply 565

The Blind Monk

Congrats on the bench PB. Good luck with the Westside.

Thanks.

Should add cardio to your blog. London NYE cardio lulz.

Reply 568

Michael XYZ

I think it's a signal that I really should do like 20 minutes cardio every day/every other day. Just some light stuff, even slow-pace on a bike/treadmill.

Reply 569

Piggsil

I also had to walk to watch fireworks last night, then walked to one flat miles away so one guy could get changed, then walked again to another flat for a house party that we had to leave due to me being harassed...BOO!

Reply 570

MrPotatoeHead

Original post by Becca

What were they harrasing you about? lol

Reply 571

Piggsil

Original post by MrPotatoeHead

What were they harrasing you about? lol

It was unwanted touching from a very drunk male friend...

Reply 572

ibysaiyan

Original post by Becca

It was unwanted touching from a very drunk male friend...

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 573

Michael XYZ

DE Squat/Deadlift

Squat
100kg - 8x2

Deadlift
110kg - 8x1

GM (close-stance)
70kg - 3x8

Seated calf raises
3x?

Abs
4x?

Good workout. Speed squats really kicked my ass - I was sweating buckets from them. After that did speed deadlifts, these felt good and pretty easy. I'm thinking of possibly doing some kind of wave with them - 3-week wave, go up a little then back down. Not sure though, we'll see.

Decided to hit hamstrings with some GMs as I haven't done them in quite a while. I could have done more with them to be honest but I just wanted to get a feel for them first. Should make easy progress for a while on them.

Seated calf raises are because I was watching a video and Louie Simmons said they help with knee pain or that they just strengthen your knees or something. Anyway, I don't know if they really do but worth a try... plus, big calves are cool. Then did 2 sets of standing abs (with a cable) and 2 sets of sit-ups. Want to try be consistent with my ab work and really strengthen them.

Reply 574

Michael XYZ

DE Bench

Bench
65kg - 8x3

Push Press
65kg - 1x10

DB Bench
32kg - 3x10

BB Row
72.5kg - 3x10

Face Pulls
2x?

Tricep Extensions
4x?

Hammer Curls
2x?

Speed benching was pretty cool, definitely need to get quicker though. I think it might be a good idea to buy wrist wraps and elbow sleeves. My left elbow was giving me a little bit of pain. Then decided to change it up a little and do some push pressing instead. I wanted to work up to a 5RM or so but underestimated what I could do. Got 10 reps on 65kg but I could have pushed for more if I needed to. Next time I'll be sure to increase it to try go more for a 5RM.

DB bench was pretty good. I pause for a little at the bottom to help the bottom of my normal bench. Then did some barbell rows - I keep fairly strict for some but I do use some momentum more towards the end. I'm not too bothered though, rather use that and go higher in weight than stick to like 30kg strict forever.

Then finished it off with some face pulls, tricep extensions and hammer curls. Just going for the burn and close to failure/failure on them.

Not nice having a fire alarm and having to evacuate in the middle of your workout... it was ****ing freezing outside!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 575

ibysaiyan

Original post by Michael XYZ

LOL don't get me started on the weather.. had an early morning session today.. I was completely submerged in water by the time I stepped into the gym. shiity weather almost had me into hypothermia and the 30 minutes long wait for the bus.. ffs

Reply 576

Michael XYZ

ME Squat/Deadlift

Parallel box squat
Warm up
160kg - 1x1
165kg - 1x1
170kg - 1x1
175kg - 1x1 PR

Split Squat
50kg - 2x10

Abs
4x?

Hmm, very happy with my box squat but I'm just a little unsure of what to take from it. I've hit 170x1 on free squat but I know that on a better day I had 175, if not even a little more than that. So essentially I'm squatting same as box squat. I didn't really do it the Westside way of pushing back A LOT and mainly using hamstrings/glutes/lower back. I feel (and I may be wrong) that it's better for my raw squat to do it similar to how I would do a normal squat, so I'm pushing back and down but not pushing back so, so much.

Rest was meh. Split squats are ****ing hard to be honest and only 50kg for 2x10 really kicked my ass. I was going to do back raises after but the equipment for it broke which really sucks. Kinda doubt they're gonna get a new one soon so I dunno what to do instead. GMs are only thing I can think of doing. Finished it off with 4 sets of standing ab work.

Reply 577

Michael XYZ

ME Bench

Close-grip bench
Warm-up
95kg - 1x1
102.5kg - 1x1
110kg - 1x1 PR

Steep incline bench
50kg - 3x5

Dips
20kg - 1x10, 1x5, 1x6

Pull-ups
Wide: 1x11, 1x8
Neutral: 1x9, 1x7
Chins: 2x8
Wide: 1x4

DB Flyes superset w/ DB extensions
2x?

DB Side raises superset w/ DB hammer curls
2x?

Well, good session in what mattered - hitting a PR on the ME lift. Pretty happy with it. My training partner who is a **** decided not to turn up on the only day I even require him. It was looking bad - like 10 people using weights at the gym, all very weak doing 5kg curls or whatever. Then luckily some guy I've talked to before turned up and he's kinda strong and isn't stupid so I got him to spot me.

After that it was a bit mixed. Decided to do some steep incline bench instead of OHP just to change things up as I've kinda stalled on OHP. 3x5 was okay, I'm trying to do a heavy barbell movement after it - 50kg isn't exactly huge but fairly heavy for me on incline.

Dips was odd. I got 3x9 last week and got 10 which was okay. Then just got 5 and 6 after that... it was odd, I just felt a lot weaker all of a sudden. Pull-ups were okay, I'm thinking of using straps on them because the bar they have at the gym sucks. It's not just a straight metal bar, they have this black foam kinda thing, I dunno how to explain it, but it means you can't get a good grip on it at all. Definitely think that's holding me back from getting a few more reps.

After that just did some DB work. Decided to try out flyes for no apparent reason. I'm thinking it's beneficial to just do some high rep flyes here and there.